Dye sublimation printing processes involve special inks that are transferred to substrates at elevated temperatures. The special inks are printed on transfer paper, and this transfer paper is then applied to a print-receptive surface of a substrate. Pressure is applied to the transfer paper to maintain registration of the transfer paper on the print-receptive substrate. Heat is also applied to cause the inks to sublime to a vaporized state. The vaporized inks then travel from the transfer paper to the surface of the print-receptive substrate, where the inks are absorbed and retained, thereby creating a durable image on the substrate.
A key aspect of dye sublimation processes is that the inks which form the transferred image are absorbed into the receiving substrate surface, rather than being deposited onto the top of the surface. This absorption into the substrate imparts increased durability to the printed image that is difficult to obtain with many other printing processes.
Not all surfaces are suitable for receiving dye sublimation inks. Polyester is a typical substrate material used in dye sublimation printing, as it is tolerant of dye sublimation temperatures—typically approximately 200 degrees Celsius—and allows the gaseous dyes to penetrate into the body of the resin. Many other materials are not inherently dye sublimation-receptive without some type of surface modification/coating—glass, acrylic, metal, stone, ceramic, wood, natural fibers (e.g. cotton). Precoated materials are available to enable dye sub printing, but typically these are available in limited selection and usually large minimum quantities are required for production. There are currently options available in the market for users to apply dye sublimation-receptive coatings to individual substrates by spraying, brushing or dipping, but these often give variable quality, consistency and thickness and may require specialized equipment, multiple steps and time to cure/dry.
A need remains, however, for a product and process that can economically and efficiently produce a high-quality dye sublimation-receptive surface on a variety of substrates that are otherwise not suitable for dye sublimation printing.